1/02/2016

Headline Jan 02, 2016/ ''' JOB SEEKING ''' : * RED DRAGONS *

''' JOB SEEKING ''' : * RED DRAGONS *

A FRIEND SAYS a gift is in the mail when it isn't. A neighbour swears she loves your new fence when she really can't stand the sight of it.

A sales clerk claims her store is offering big savings on everything in stock, when only a few select items, as it turns out, are marked down.

Little white lies [of all sorts] are tossed our way daily, and getting to the truth of the matter can be frustrating, time-consuming, even upsetting.

How about written material? Can we spot misleading behaviour in letters, e-mails and even resumes?

At the University of Texas at Austin, psychology professor James Pennebaker and colleagues have developed computer software known as Linguistic Inquiry and World Count {LIWC} which-

Analyses written and verbal content for lies. Deception can carry two main markers, explains Pennebaker.

First, liars tend to use fewer first-person pronouns -words like I, me, mine -than truth tellers. It's as if they are putting psychological distance between themselves and their stories; they don't own the message,

''The paperwork was sent yesterday'' is an example, as opposed to the direct and direct personal ''I sent it yesterday.'' Second, liars use fewer exclusionary words-

But, nor, except,whereas. They have trouble with complex thinking, says Pennebaker, and it shows,

**The Most Common Lies Found On Resumes**.

Getting away with a little white lie at work may be easy -''Honestly, I was sick the day of the World Cup final!'' but putting fibs in black and white on your resume can be dangerous.

Here are the most common lies recruiters look for on the resumes of job seekers.

Inflated Job Title

Why settle for sales clerk when you could be Department Head, Sales, at the local supermarket? Bumping your position up a notch or two can be terribly tempting, but a professional recruiter will glean the truth about your direct reports, budgets and company reporting structures.

Extra Education

You really to get those last two credits to finish your degree. You know your stuff anyway, so why not say you have the degree? The answer is simple: Most companies take a dimmer view of lying than a few missing credits.

Exaggerated Salary

It's easier to ask for more money if you start from a higher base, but remember, the truth is a quick phone call away for the recruiter.

Non-Existent Technical Ability

Showing up at your new job to find office workers that the company finally hired someone proficient in the latest Web Development Tools won't much fun unless unless you truly know what you are doing.

The only thing worse is claiming to be fluent in Mandarin the day before the Chinese partner arrives.

''Lies occur between friends, between teacher and student, doctor and patient, husband and wife, witness and jury, lawyer and client, and salesperson and customer,'' says Paul Ekman, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of California, San Francisco.

Eikman has been studying deceptive behaviour for more than four decades and is the author of several books on the subject.

''Lying is such a central characteristic of life,'' he says, ''that better understanding it is relevant to almost human affairs.''

With respectful dedication to all the Students, Professors and Teachers of the World. See Ya all on !WOW! -the World Students Society: